The IDRC Extraordinary General Assembly held at Kyra Kyrklund's Snowhill Farm in Coolham, Great Britain, on 13 April 2011 was a resounding success. IDRC President Kyra Kyrklund as delighted to see that a number of Members had found time to attend the EGA in person.
Many had submitted their votes by email.
With Riders representation on the Dressage Committee as hot topic of the evening, Wayne Channon (IDRC Secretary General) updated the Members present on the current situation regarding the position of the Athletes’ Representative
on the FEI Dressage Committee.
CHannon reported that the FEI was considering removing the IDRC as an Associate Member. This is a new strategy and seemed to be aimed at taking the focus off the real issue of who should elect the riders representative to the Dressage Committee.
The IDRC's legal advice was that removing Associate Membership of the IDRC would be unlawful and the FEI Statues and Internal Regulations do not allow this.
The IDRC Pre-hearing Submission to the FEI Bureau was discussed and it was agreed that this very clearly showed that the IDRC had been acting in good faith and in complete accordance with its Statutes. The Submission would be sent following conclusion of the EGA.
It was noted that the FEI was reluctant to discuss the new 2012 IDRC Statutes (that were specifically drafted to allow the two excluded members the right of appeal) as they had started proceedings. This is contrary to normal legal process which aims to conclude disputes as quickly as possible.
Resolutions
The EGA moved to consider the items on the Agenda and a formal vote was conducted by a show of hands and by proxy.
- a. That the Revised IDRC Statutes (attached) be adopted. Passed unanimously.
- b. That the International Dressage Riders’ Club be incorporated in the UK as A Company Ltd by Guarantee. Passed unanimously.
- c. That Catherine Haddad be appointed as an Executive Board Member. Passed unanimously.
The President commented that electronic and proxy voting has transformed our members’ ability to express their views. With such a geographically disperse membership, far more than any National Federation, the IDRC is able to get feedback from its members using modern technology so that we arrive a democratic decision on important matters.
Related Links
Extraordinary IDRC General Assembly to Approve New Statutes
IDRC President Kyra Kyrklund Issues Statement on IDRC-FEI Feud